The Serpent Queen V20
by Azreal1313
Summary: Welcome to the world of Aethelind Potter. Raised by the Blacks to be the perfect pureblood heiress from a Grey family, mentored by Albus Dumbledore himself. Intrigue, politics, the lives of the aristocracy, and morality painted in shades of grey. Prepare for the coming storm.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Of Fire and Blood

Marge Dursley had arrived.

That fact alone sent shivers of fear running through the small broken girl hiding in the cupboard under the stairs.

The Dursleys were always harsh, they fed her as little as they could get away with, and used her as one would a slave, but Marge, Marge was cruel.

She enjoyed pain and suffering, especially that of the 'little freak' Aethelind Potter.

Heavy footfalls echoed outside her door. Followed by loud voices, the smell of food, and the clinking of glasses. The voices became more and more exuberant, and slurred.

Wonderful. They decided to get drunk. Small tears of dead ran down Aethelind's cheeks. Tonight was going to be very painful.

There was a loud braying laugh, and heavy stomping footfalls, then the light outside her door vanished, replaced with the sound of labored breathing.

The door was flung open, a rough hand grabbed her, and she was thrown roughly onto the hallway floor. The bright light seared her eyes.

"Sshesh a mangy little brat ishn't she?" Aethelind looked up into the beedy black eyes of Marge Dursley. The woman was as wide as she was tall, with a face reminiscent of an ugly bulldog, and a cruel smile that sent a sadistic glint to her eyes.

"See, all this...this freak nonshense, wouldn't be a problem if you jusht beat the damn girl more. It's like a alwashy say a good thrashing is what's needed ninety nine times out of a hundred. Just like with dogsh."

Aethelind tried to crawl backwards away from the brute of a woman. It was futile as Marge just laughed and grabbed a fistful of Aethelind's long black hair, and gave a sharp tug. The small girl was sent sprawling with a cry of pain.

Marge gave a cruel laugh, and dragged Aethelind into the living room. Pain flooded Aethelind's body as she was pulled, her scalp feeling as if it was about to be ripped from her head. "Let me go! Please! Please! It hurts!" She flailed in desperation trying to get away.

She was thrown across the waxed floor to hit the sturdy coffee table with a thud. There was a sharp crack in her chest, and a dull sickening ache spread from her now fractured rib.

She looked up at her Aunt, startling green eyes meeting dull blue. "Please."

Marge advanced, having grabbed a strip of leather from her bag. "Thankfully I thought to bring my besht whipping belt. If thish dosent get the point across, nothing will."

Vernon's face was a little pale. "Whatever you think will work Marge. This freaky business has to stop."

There was a whistling noise, and then a sharp crack, and a howling whine of pain. Aethelind couldn't feel the strike for a few seconds, then creeping daggers of ice slunk across her back, followed by tendrils of flame that set her nerves afire.

Marge struck again. Then again, and again.

The pain faded to white noise. In its place came a cold, calm anger. A low roar filled Aethelind's ears. Color drained from her vision, and the world seemed to her eyes to be made of wireframe. She wanted to leave. She wanted a family, a real family. She wanted love. She wanted light, she wanted hope.

Something, like a taunt rubber band, or a spring coiled too tight, something deep inside her, snapped.

And the world disappeared.

…

In the center of Muggle London, at Grimmauld Place, in the odd non-space Between numbers eleven, and thirteen, an old tired looking man, sat staring into a dying fire.

Arcturus Black, the Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, looked down at the glass in his hand with a sigh. The amber liquid swirled slowly around long since melted ice, giving the drink an oily look.

He looked around at the house with a heavy air. The once perfectly maintained home had fallen into dis-repair, and while not squalid, it was dusty, and dim.

It reflected the state of the House of Black.

Of his grandchildren, one was in Azkaban, on a life sentence, and one was dead. The work of the so called 'dark lord'. The family had been fools to follow him. Where did he end up? Killed by a babe.

His Nieces weren't much better off. One had married a muggle, one had married a Deatheater, the fool girl, and the other was locked up, and a raving lunatic to boot.

The family needed fresh blood, or they were sure to die out. Orion wasn't up to re-marry though, and even if Lucrecitta and Ignatius weren't Prewetts, they were sterile.

Arcturus missed the sound of youthful laughter. The energy of children. He was afraid that their home would soon be their tomb.

About to call it a night, he eased himself out of his seat, cursing mildly about his joints, the weather, and his age. He raised his hand to snap, to summon Kreature, but before he could complete the motion, a tremendous crash sounded in the entry hall, followed by the wards alerting him that an unknown person, of Black descent had just brute-forced their way through the house's anti-apparition wards.

Aches forgotten, Arcturus grabbed his wand, and charged towards the entry hall.

"Kreature!" He cried. "Fetch my wife, and my son. After that alert Cassie, and Ignatius. We have an intruder!"

A crack sounded beside him, and Orion black appeared, wand ready. "What's going on?"

"I haven't the slightest of ideas." Arcturus admitted. He paused at the closed door to the entrance hall. "I haven't heard anything since the crash. However, they got in through brute force Apparition, so we are dealing with a powerful Mage."

Orion nodded stiffly, and the two charged into the hall, shield charms raised, wands alit with the red glow of prepared stunners, to face a bleeding and unconscious child.

The girl was maybe six, Arcturus estimated, but she could be younger, as she was bone thin, and in a dreadful state. Her long black hair was matted and dull, her pale skin had an unhealthy parlor, and her back was cross crossed with lines of bright red, as if the girl had been whipped.

His common sense abandoning him, Arcturus dropped his wand and rushed forward. The wards screamed at him, that whoever this was, she shared the blood that ran through his veins. This was family. Someone had hurt a Black, and grievously.

"Merlin above." Orion whispered in horror. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know, but I will find out." Arcturus's voice was grim. "Can you help me heal her cuts? The rest will take potions to fix."

The soft patter of footsteps behind him told him his wife had arrived. The scream of horror told him she had seen the girl. "Who would do this to a child?"

"The worst kind of monster." Orion growled.

Arcturus waved his wand, sealing most of her external wounds, which luckily hadn't been caused by magic, and varnishing much of the blood and grime covering the girl. He gently cupped her face, and brushed her hair aside. "Who are you girl?"

As he pulled the hair up past her eyes, he was struck by how similar the girl looked to his lost sister, Dorea, of course Dorea had married Charlus Potter and thus it was quite impossible for this girl to be related to her after all...

He froze. There, upon her forehead, rested a very unusual curse scar. Unique even.

After all, no one other than Aethelind Potter had ever survived the killing curse.

"Bloody fucking hell." He whispered.

"What?" Orion had finished sealing up her cuts, seamlessly not even a scar would remain to remind the girl of her injuries.

"We have on our hands, one Aethelind Potter."

"The girl-who-lived?"

Arcturus snorted. "Was there another Aethelind Potter I was unaware of?"

Orion at least had the decency to look chagrinned. "This is bad. This is very very bad. Half of the wizarding world is going to be in a panic if word gets out about this. We can't go to St. Mungo's."

"No we can't."

"Who then?"

Arcturus gritted his teeth. As much as he hated it, there was really only one place secure enough. With it being summer, it was blessedly private as well. "We go to Hogwarts, we go to Albus Dumbledore."

"Will he even help us? We were a dark family during the war! My own damn son is responsible for her being an orphan." Orion said.

"He will. We can't be blamed for what Sirius did. He cut ties with us years before. As for our actions...the younger generation, they paid for the side they took. Our family paid for it. Dumbledore knows there is no lost love between us and the Dark Lord."

Arcturus stood up. He carefully levitated the girl as if she was on a still board. Couldn't risk any internal injuries being aggravated. He turned to his wife, Melania, who had been frantically running interference with the branches of the Black family, to prevent Cassiopeia, and Ignatius from storming in wands blazing. "Dearest, I need you and Cassie to pull in contacts. Find out what people know about tonight, prevent as many rumors as you can."

Melania nodded, and turned back to the scrying mirror, desperately arguing with the faces in the mirror.

"Phinneas!" Arcturus roared, calling for the portrait of the Black headmaster. "Tell Albus that we will be arriving in his office momentarily, to clear the room now, and to alert his healer!" Not waiting for a reply, He and Orion moved with purpose to the massively oversized fireplace that served as the house's main floo connection. Thankfully, the ministry had neglected to remove the connection between the house and Hogwarts.

"How do we floo her?" Orion asked.

"We will have to all go at once." Arcturus grimaced. "It won't be pleasant, but do try to stay upright, a fall could be hazardous to her health."

A pinch of powder, and a flash of green later, and the familiar and uncomfortable spinning sensation and the two were standing in the fireplace of the Headmaster's office, with Aethelind hovering behind them.

Unfortantly the room was far from empty. Alongside Albus Dumbledore stood Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Minerva McGonagle, and what seemed to be half of the order of the Phoenix. All wore haggard, and surprised looks on their faces.

"Mr. And Mr. Black, now is not a good time for any business you are here to conduct." Albus spoke calmly but with and edge of cold steel under his soft voice. "We are in the middle of a crisis-"

"Let me guess, the Potter girl went missing?" Orion snapped.

Dumbledore looked taken aback. "Yes, how did you-"

Arcturus sighed. He really really would have preferred less witnesses. "Because we found her, and your day is about to get a lot worse." He stepped out of the flames and gently levitated Aethelind into view. There was a collection of gasps.

"What did you do to her! You-" The harsh voice of Mad-Eye-Moody snarled.

"We healed her to the best of our abilities. We didn't harm her in any way. She apparated straight into my entry hall." Arcturus kept his voice level.

"Like I believe that! Death rather scum!" Moody snarled.

"Silence!." Albus commanded. "Severus, go to Poppy. Get her to start prepping the Hospital wing, then prepare to brew any restorative potions she deems needed."

"How could this have happened Albus?" Minerva asked.

"I don't know." The most powerful living wizard looked very frail all of a sudden. "You said she apparated?"

"Yes. Straight through our wards. Brute force, so she is more than likely suffering from sever magical exhaustion. On top of that, her whole back was a bloody mess. Looked like she had been whipped, and not all of the wounds were fresh. There were some scars. I can't be sure, but I also think she has several broken bones." Arcturus looked down. "My mind jumped to her being attacked, however if she just dissapered from her home now, I am afraid we are dealing with a case of severe child abuse."

"Those damn muggles." McGonnagle hissed, sounding almost feral. A wild light glinted in her eyes.

Dumbledore paled visibly, and Arcturus noticed his hands were shaking. "So it's my fault. I should have never left her there." He whispered. Speaking louder he said. "We need to move her to the hospital wing now."

The crowd parted quickly, surrounding the Blacks, and Potter like a human shield, Arcturus was sure he felt several wands trained on his back.

The group moved through the halls quickly, and he counted his blessings that it was summer.

Upon entering the hospital wing, there was a screech of dismay from the healer, Madame Pomfrey. "Oh no! The poor thing!" She gestured at one of the closest beds. "Set her down there." They complied quickly.

She turned with a glare. "Everyone not needed, OUT!" When no one moved she sighed. "That means everyone but Albus, Severus, and-" she gestured at the two Black. "You two."

The group scattered quickly.

The hospital matron waved her wand in feverishly quick circles, casting diagnostic spell after diagnostic spell. "Merlin..." Her eyes were wide with horror. "What happened to the poor girl!"

"I was a fool." Albus's voice was strained. "I left her with those muggles, I was warned but I did it anyway."

"Why! Why, Albus why muggles!" Poppy almost cried.

"They were her mother's family, and her mother's sacrifice created a very strong protection for those of her blood. No-one not of the bloodline, or at least tied very very close to it could have harmed the girl. Not even Lord Voldemort could have walked into that house. I never once thought the harm would come from within."

"This has been going on for years." Madame Pomfrey glared at Dumbledore. "How was this not identified sooner!"

Dumbledore looked harrowed. "I...I never went to check on the girl. I stationed Arabella near by, but she never reported anything worse than a few childish brawls. They must have hidden it well. I couldn't risk going myself, if her location was found...she was safe from deatheaters at home, but in the street outside? At school? She was too vulnerable, they couldn't even be allowed to guess the general location of the home." He let out a long sigh before straightening, his eyes without their usual twinkle. "It is still no excuse. I was a fool, of the worst kind. I should have found, no I should have made a way to check on her, to keep her safe. Alas, I did not, and the poor girl payed the price."

At least now, thought Albus, at least she was safe.

A/N: whew...anyway, I realized I didn't like the start of the serpent queen, and I wanted a much more, aristocratically raised Potter, and I didn't want to go with the annoying Gringotts cliché, or have her learn to be this perfect little heiress from books and self teaching.

I sat down for a day and just drew out a general outline so I know pretty much where the story is going, minus a few little things.

I hope people will be pleasantly surprised with a few thing (like house choice)

Now, for reviews: if you could, leave your favorite parings for fem!harry and for your favorite secondary character! I have yet to decide on any parings yet, and as the kids are well...kids, there won't be any for a while yet, so you will have plenty of time to argue for your favorite. I will take all into consideration and think about them.

Anyhow, AZ out.


	2. Chapter 2

Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, Vanquisher of Grindelwald, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, and the greatest wizard of the modern era, felt powerless.

He sat in the hospital wing of Hogwarts, and waited. For that was all he could do. His great magics, his skill in transfiguration, his web of political allies, could do nothing for the little girl bleeding to death from inside as she lay behind the curtain not two meters away. He looked down at the wand in his wrinkled hands. Made of Elder and the hair of a Thestral, the deathstick could take lives with ease, curses and hexes flowed like water from it, raining destruction as if nothing. Creation, healing, granting life? It had no skill for those arts. He had no skill for the healing arts.

How many times was he destined to fail the girl? First he had failed by letting Tom Riddle become Voldemort, then he had failed to end the monster whose existence he had allowed. He hadn't caught the traitor among the order, leading to her parents deaths, and then he had sent her to an abusive home, and not even seen to her safety.

Albus Dumbledore remembered his infrequent trips to the potter house. Visions of the lively toddler, who attempted to babble in her unformed words, an ever-present spark of joy in her eyes. So unlike the too frail girl that had been brought, covered in blood, and with hidden internal injuries, to his office just hours before.

Tears welled in his eyes. Albus would not fail the Potters again. Aethelind would be given back the childhood she should have had, and when Voldemort returned, as he knew the monster would, Albus would be ready, he would have allies, and he would destroy the abomination.

That would come. Now, he just had to wait.

—

Three hours later, the white curtain hiding Madame Pomfrey, her swarm of house elf assistants, and Aethelind was swept aside to reveal a very exhausted medical staff.

Arcturus Black spoke first. "How is she?"

"Stable. She has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but her life is no longer in any danger." Madame Pomfrey said. "I put her into a magically induced coma. It will help her body recover if she isn't fighting us, and I wouldn't want her to suffer through the pain of the bone regrowing and regeneration potion regime she will have to be on."

"How long?" Albus's voice was hoarse.

"For what? I'll have her under for about a month's time I expect. Lunar cycles are good for this type of healing. I wouldn't expect a full physiological recovery within the year. Perhaps by next June. Her new bones and muscles will be weak, and require slow careful therapy. for a psychological recovery…" The older woman sighed. "I Don't know. With what she's been through, I couldn't tell you what she will be like when she wakes up."

Orion Black looked over to his father who nodded slightly.

"The House of Black, will of course be more than happy to assist in any way, wether financial, or by opening our doors to Aethelind. We will do what we can to ensure she wants for nothing."

"Absolutely not!" Minerva McGonagle cried. The transfiguration professor's face twisted in anger. "Neither you, nor the rest of your dark family will lay a single finger on her!"

"Our blood runs through her veins, or have you forgotten that Dorea was my sister?" Arcturus hissed. His voice cold. "Since you seem to have done _such_ a good job ensuring her safety, perhaps this 'dark' family needs to intercede for the sake of our own!"

"Just like you did _such_ a good job raising Sirus and Regulus? What happened to them? Oh right, they became death eaters, one died and one got locked up in Azkaban, just like they deserved." Minerva spat.

"You Bitch!" Orion drew his wand dark violet sparks already arcing along the wood, a half formed spell on his lips.

"Enough!" Dumbledore roared. He let a little of his power, normally carefully concealed, slip loose. All those who had been speaking were cowed.

"Lord and Heir Black, your offer of assistance is much appreciated, however given your past allegiance you must understand our reticence. Trust must be earned."

"Our past allegiance as you put it was a mistake. A mistake that cost us dearly. That bastard took my sons from me." Orion's words were low and hoarse, shadowed by old pain.

"We have no love for the Dark Lord. Not anymore. We've had half a decade to sit and watch all we loved fall to ruin, and see the damage that the war caused our world." Arcturus swallowed his pride. "You say that you were a fool. So were we. We chose wrong, and…" he looked down at the frail girl. "Our children and grandchildren paid the price." steeling himself he met Albus's piercing ice blue eyes. He extended his hand to the elderly wizard. "I know what is needed to earn your trust."

There was a quiet collective gasp from the teachers.

Dumbledore gave him a quizzical glance for a moment and then clasped his hand. "Severus, if you would?"

"Surely you don't mean to?" The death eater turned spy asked.

"I do."

Severus Snape shook his head then drew his wand and placed it to the clasped hands.

"Do you Arcturus Black swear to never willfully and knowingly aid the Dark Lord Voldemort?" Dumbledore's voice hummed with power as ancient magics stirred.

"I swear." A ribbon of magic flowed from Snape's wand and twisted around the hands of the two elder mages.

"Do you Arcturus Black swear to do whatever is in your power to aid and protect Aethelind Potter?"

"I swear." A second ribbon joined the first.

"Do you Arcturus Black swear to, if needed do what must be done to fight against the Dark Lord Voldemort if he returns."

"I swear." A third ribbon formed, and tied with the others binding the two hands together, before fading gently away. Dumbledore moved to let go, but Arcturus tightened his grip and gave a slightly dangerous grin. "Oh no you don't. You've admitted yourself that you are why my niece was on the brink of death an hour ago. I need a few vows from you myself."

"You can't just demand that the headmaster do anything!" Snape growled.

"I think I can." Arcturus snapped. "I am after all the one in this room who just swore an unbreakable vow to protect the girl! From my point of view, I am the sole person I can trust to keep her best interests in mind!"

"He has a point Severus." Albus's voice was weary. The old man met Arcturus's eyes. "I trust Lord Black, only a fool, or a man with nothing to fear would willingly swear an unbreakable vow to an old adversary in his stronghold surrounded by allies."

Severus grimaced, looking ready to protest but held his tongue. Glaring at the elder Black he again pressed his wand to the clasped hands.

"Do you Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore Swear to do everything in your power to protect and aid Aethelind Potter?"

"I swear." The first ribbon formed.

"Do you Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore swear to in the event of the Dark Lord Voldemort's return, swear to fight against him."

"I swear." Albus's eyes twinkled slightly at the second vow.

"Do you Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, swear to seek the conference of trusted others and of your allies when acting, or deciding how to best act in order to fulfill your previous oaths."

There was a long, tense silence before Dumbledore replied. "I swear." The final ribbon appeared and the oath was sworn.

"I didn't expect that last vow, however, I understand why you asked for it." Dumbledore gave a low chuckle. "I am in fact aware of where my failings lie. So thank you. Perhaps this vow can actually aid me as well as Miss Potter."

"Speaking of the young Miss Potter, Headmaster I am afraid I have to request something dreadful of you." Madame Pomfrey said. The mediwitch was wringing her hands in obvious dismay.

"What is it you require." Albus asked.

The mediwitch's eyes were moist with barely suppressed tears. "Due to the nature, severity, and duration of her injuries I am unsure of exactly how much damage has been done, and for how long. I need a timeline of events in order to create an accurate dosing schedule for potions and to know what spells and rituals need to be preformed. Also…" She looked down, a pained expression on her face. "With the nature of her injuries, I am worried that…things…may have been done to her. I have seen no evidence thereof, but it could be hidden. I need you to look into her mind, read her subconscious memories. Perhaps you can also glean hints of what her psychological state will be when she comes out of her coma."

"You want me to preform Legimancy on a child without her knowledge." Albus sighed. "You wouldn't ask if it wasn't absolutely needed. Very well."

The aged wizard stepped over to the still form of Aethelind Potter and gently rested his and on her forehead.

He went rigid instantly.

The amassed staff of Hogwarts, and the two Blacks waited in uneasy silence as Albus stood, stiff as a board as if electricity was coursing through him. After a few moments, he collapsed upon himself and withdrew his hand.

"Poppy, your fears were blessedly unfounded, however…" He paused before drawing himself up to his full hight. "The abuse started within a year of her arrival at the Dursley's first, neglect, underfeeding, being forced to live in a closet under the stairs. Then, beatings from her cousin and her friends, then deliberate withholding of food and water, long periods of forced imprisonment in a small space. Finally, as her accidental magic began to manifest, beatings delivered by her guardians, culminating in the events of tonight."

Madame Pomfrey had conjured a pad and a quill, and quickly jotted down the order and severity of the injuries. "I'll need more specifics later Albus."

"Of course." Dumbledore nodded. "However, I have something even more dire to address at the moment." He looked straight past Arcturus to Orian behind him. "Orian, I am so sorry, it appears I failed your family once more. In the deepest, most hidden parts of Aethelind's subconscious, were memories of her time with her parents, locked away so deep that she wouldn't ever be able to consciously remember them. One of them was of the Fidalius Ritual. It was a foggy memory, however it was clear enough to see that Sirius Black was not the Secret Keeper. He cast the charm, Peter Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper. You son has languished in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. I am so sorry."

Arcturus watched his son's face become a mirror of his own emotions. Shock at a relation half a decade in the making, Anguish at the pain Sirius must be suffering and at their own failures of letting him rot in that hell, and finally hope. Their family line may yet survive after all, if Sirius their heir could be freed.

Sirius Black was innocent.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_—_—_—_—_—_—_

 **A/N Hello! Sorry for the kinda short chapter. As it is I have another 2k words or so ready, but I wanted to end the chapter here.**

 **This chapter was basically a lot of filler esque stuff, in the sense that it was the boring, get to the point already world building set up. I personally cant wait to get to the point of Aethelind actually waking up so you can all meet** ** _this_** **Potter.**

 **Anyway:**

 **Fic Recommendation** **\- Yule Ball Panic** (awesome Fem!Harry story has a rather lengthy sequel, and the third in the series just started. Check it out. The author is a MUCH better writer than I am.)

 **Chapter End Question** **-** What do you want to see in Pureblood culture? What real life cultures do you equate to the Purebloods?

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**

 **-AZ**


	3. Chapter 3

The ministry of magic was a cacophony of chaos. Colored memos swarmed the air, Aurors, Politicians, and Reporters ran franticly to and fro.

Not far removed from the madness, in a small dark office, the freshly appointed head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones sat and desperately tried to breathe.

The panic rolled over her in waves pressing down her like a overwhelming weight on her chest. A weight shaped like a small golden band that hung on a chain around her neck.

A momento of what the war took, of the man she had loved and the man she had lost to the darkness.

Only she hadn't lost him after all.

Sirius Black was innocent of betraying the Potters. An innocent had rotted in Azkaban for years, and it was her fault.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. She remembered his face when she had visited him in the ministry holding cell all those years ago, to ask why. Why he had betrayed one of his best friends and killed another. He had begged her to believe him, had pled his innocence, repeated 'it was Peter, it was Peter" over and over. Then he had looked mad.

Now, knowing he was wronged, his face in her memories was that of a man beaten and broken by the world. Betrayed by one friend, loosing one to death, abandoned by everyone that he had loved, accused of a crime he didn't commit.

She had failed him. Failed herself. She hadn't pushed for a trial, she hadn't doubted his guilt. She wouldn't fail again.

Amelia composed herself quickly, and with a few quick cleaning spells, and a hair tie, was every inch the emotionless, unbreakable head of the DMLE. She strode out of the room into the chaos and began barking orders.

"Shacklebolt! Whats the news on Black?"

The Auror in question a tall African man, with a whipcord build snapped to attention. "The Wizengamott has moved to give Black a trial Ma'am. It was a close thing. They don't like being wrong."

"None of us do Kingsley." Amelia shook her head. "Do they have a date?"

"Tomorrow, thirteen hundred sharp." Kingsley said. "They want this over quickly, and quietly." He snorted. "Not that the media will let the quiet bit happen."

"That's for damn sure." She sighed. "Get a few of your best Aurors, we are moving Black to ministry holding cells now."

"Now? But-" Kingsley paused mid stride in shock and almost toppled over.

"Yes now! If there really is an innocent man rotting in Azkaban, do you want to leave him at the mercy of the dementors for another minute?"

"No. However, are you sure that your…ah…previous association with Black might be causing you to act rashly?" Kingsley said.

Amelia's blood ran cold. She turned an icy glare upon the auror. "Auror Shacklebolt. I believe your commanding officer just gave you an order. I suggest you comply. Now."

Sufficiently cowed, Kingsley bowed. "Yes Ma'am! My team will be ready to move in fifteen."

…

Far removed from the chaos of the ministry of Magic, in the second highest tower of Hogwarts, three tired men sat.

Orion, and Arcturus Black, keeping the company of Albus Dumbledore. It would be quite a shock to any outsider who wasn't privy to the trials of the previous seven days.

"Any news Albus? On the trial." Orion asked.

"The Wizengamot finally decided on a date. Tomorrow, just after twelve. I believe the quick trial was an attempt to resolve this quickly, and silently. Likely with a fraud of a trial, and a quick guilty verdict." Albus smiled ruefully. "However, some unknown source has leaked the time and location of the trial to every single major or minor news outlet in wizarding Britain."

"I wonder who would do that." Orion gave a throaty laugh.

"I have no idea." Albus said, quietly chuckling as well.

"And Aethelind?" Arcturus spoke up from the corner where he was reclining in a handsome leather armchair. The usual clutter of whirling silver devices, and delicate tables that normally littered the headmaster's office had been replaced, by stacks upon stacks of books, and scrolls on legal proceedings, and chairs had been conjured for the small council of three.

Albus gave a long and weary sigh. "Nothing about her condition has changed. Poppy tells me that she is stable, and healing, however the process is far slower than expected. A few complications appeared in treating her."

"Complications?" Orion asked. "What kind of complications?"

"Her scar for one. It's larger than it was years ago. Poppy thinks that whatever caused that wound on her is still present, and that her magic has been trying to keep it in check." Albus grimaced. "And with the intense physical stress she's been under, with her magic also having to try to heal a battered body, I'm afraid that whatever 'it' is has been winning. Poppy is afraid that one of the side effects of the scar, what with the placement of a few of the new 'branches' is that Aethelind will be permanently blind in her left eye. The damage doesn't seem to be curable by any magic."

"Merlin…her scar. Any thoughts on what caused it? It looks like, as if lightning ran under her skin." Arcturus was horrified. Very few curses progressed like that, and none that the Dark Lord was fond of.

"The Avarda Kedarva, it would appear."

"How is that possible?" Orion asked. "The killing curse doesn't leave any marks."

"Not usually." Albus mused. "However, this is hardly usual. The girl survived an unsurvivable curse. The curse appears to be attempting to complete its purpose, to sever her soul from her body, and her magic is fighting it."

"So she's dying?"

"Yes." Albus looked down into the crystal glass in his hand. the amber liquid swirling lightly within. "Very, very slowly, But yes she is dying. Unless we can find a solution before then, she wont live to see her twenty second year. Less, if her body and magic continue to be taxed as they were. If her abuse had continued as it had, I doubt she would have made it to Hogwarts alive."

"Merlin be damned Albus! The girls parents are dead, a possibly immortal vengeful dark lord wants her to die, she was abused for years, and now you are telling me we have to stop an unstoppable curse, or she will die young? Poor thing can't really get a break." Arcturus's words were slightly slurred from the muggle whiskey they were drinking.

"Albus, you mentioned complications, plural?" Orion's voice was tinged with worry.

"So I did." Albus drained his glass. "Secondly, I've been looking into her mind at Poppy's request, and I've discovered something worrisome. All of her memories are protected by something akin to an Occulomency barrier, I didn't notice it at first, because the last time I used Legimency was against death eaters. I had grown to expect the resistance."

"But a little girl shouldn't have any occulmency."

"Indeed." Albus nodded. "And indeed on closer observation, she doesn't. Instead i was encountering a powerful form of the mind protecting itself. Her memories have been repressed, forced into her subconscious. When Aethelind wakes, she wont remember anything."

"Anything? Nothing at all, Albus? Will her memories return?" Panic seeped into Orion. They had all been desperately hoping that the girl would be psychologically alright after all this. It had been a long shot, but they had still hoped.

"She will remember basic skills, the english language, things like that, but no personal memories. I do not believe they will ever return. The mind is a curious thing, resilient, yet oh so fragile. Neither we nor the muggles have even begun to scratch the surface when it comes yep understanding it I fear." Albus fixed Orion with his piercing eyes. "It however may be an opportunity, one for the best."

"How so?" Arcturus spoke.

"I do believe young Regulus had an illegitimate child did he not? A young girl, about Aethelind's age. Hidden somewhere in the muggle world." Albus's eyes twinkled dangerously.

"Yes, why would that matter-" Arcturus paused. A look of incredulity spread over his face. "You can't mean?"

"The girl needs a home. She needs safety. Where better than the last place anyone would look for Aethelind Potter? How would she be safer than under a new name, a new identity. With efforts being made to liberate Sirus, She would certainly have a good support structure."

"Why us? Why not one of the light families? Why not the Weasleys?" Orion asked.

"The final complication." Albus's voice was grave. "Her magical core indicates an amazingly strong aptitude for sacrificial magics, specifically soul magic. She could be the strongest Soul Mage in recorded history, and the only wizarding family to produce a Soul Mage in the past hundred years had been the Blacks."

"A Soul Mage? Merlin save us all." Arcturus whispered. "You are right Albus. We will take her in."

…..

Azkaban Prison

Amelia Bones stared up at the black stone Monolith that was Azkaban. Here on a lonely island somewhere in the Atlantic ocean, the sky was a dismal grey, the water, black with no hint of motion nor light. The Prison though, stood out. Darker than the black water. Darker than the shadow it cast. It was a wound on the world, a pillar of blackness that marred the landscape like a scar.

She shivered, and pulled her cloak around her in a vain attempt to warm herself and fight the ever-present cold. The constant rainfall and the sea spray combined with the natural, and unnatural cold, had the small group of seven Aurors half frozen to death, and without the benefit of a warming charm.

Magic didn't work right near Azkaban. Spells failed, wards collapsed, potions became inert water, or sometimes deadly poisons. Transfigurations formed incomplete monstrosities, even time turners failed on the island. Only very old, very primal magics worked on the island. Luckily, the patronus charm was one of those. Amelia's silver dog paced before her, along with the other Auror's patronuses.

"Let's go get our man." Amelia spoke. She hated Azkaban with a passion, and wanted to leave quickly.

The seven made their way to the gates, wands out even though here they were nothing but useless sticks of wood. The Azkaban guards, a joint division of the Aurors and the Unspeakables, quickly opened the cold iron gate, careful not to touch the dangerous metal.

Witches bane. Fey slayer. Cold iron came from the stars and the void, and resisted magic to the extent that touching it could drain the average witch or wizard's core.

None of the guards spoke, simply grabbing torches lit with blue flame from the wall. The elder variant of fiendfyre hissed and spluttered as it attempted to feed on the iron rod to which It was attached. They surrounded the Aurors, casting patronuses' of their own. The mix of blue and silver light cast twisted shadows on the walls and floor, though Amelia couldn't for the life of her explain what the shadows were of.

The geometry of Azkaban was strange, broken. Several times, Amelia's group passed themselves, at a different time or place. corridors were different lengths depending on which way you went, and though she could see upper levels of the prison, no path led anywhere but down. No one spoke. It was if it would invoke the wrath of some unknown deity to break the ever present silence.

They had passed row after row of cells, and none of the prisoners had acknowledged their presence instead quietly whimpering in their cells. The Dementors were also felt everywhere, and here and there, Amelia would swear she saw the tail end of a tattered black cloak, or a decayed, scar covered hand resting on a widow sill. The actual entities were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are the Dementors?" She whispered.

"Everywhere." One of the guards answered roughly, his voice cracking like an un oiled door protesting being moved for the first time in years. "They are dark souls. They only appear as the cloaked corpses because they are weak off the island. Here? They are the very air you breath, they are the stone upon which you walk, and the water that seeps into you boots. Out there? You can run away from them, you can hide from them. Here? Here you can't."

Amelia had only been to Azkaban once before, but there had been hundred's of Aurors, and hit wizards, and the Patronuses had been so numerous as to drive back the formless horrors.

"We are safe though? With the Patronuses? Right?"

"As safe as one can be here. Just don't do anything to anger them. They only avoid the Patronuses here because it amuses them. They can snuff the small number we have here out without a thought. They only don't because then we would stop bringing them food." The guard gave a noncommittal shrug, as if the thought of nigh-immortal soul eating monstrosities basically toying with wizarding society was no big deal.

The group fell into an uneasy silence, though Amelia noticed that her Auror's were now gripping their wands tighter. Even Kingsley's knuckles were white with tension. They spiraled deeper and deeper into the fortress, even though every window they walked past showed the exact same view of the bleak ocean, from the exact same elevation. Then the windows stopped.

The stone began to become rougher and rougher, changing from inhumanly smooth stone, to rock corridors that seemed as if they had been scraped out by some unknown giant's clawed hand. The doorways they passed were more and more slanted and misshapen. The cold iron bars over the prisoners's cells twisted and rough, and frost covered everything.

Deep, deep beneath the world of the living, the group came to the cell of Sirius Black. Unlike the other prisoners, he was not collapsed in a corner, or huddled on his bed. Instead, he stood rigidly, hands clasped behind his back, face set in a firm glare of hatred that took Amelia aback.

"Back to play so soon?" The worn skeleton of a man growled.

"What?" Amelia asked. Looking to the guard who had spoken earlier.

"Poor bastard here is a favorite of the Dementors. Same with his cousin. Something makes em' more resilient than the rest of the prisoners here. Whatever it is, it riles the demons up. Makes them play cruel tricks on them." The guard's voice was worn and grating.

Sirius threw his head back and laughed. "Think I will fall for it? Think again. I suppose its one of the usual, so what is it this time? James and Lily survived? I get a trial? What fake hope do you want to wave in front of me this time?"

Amelia's heart shattered looking at him. He was broken. The happy carefree man she had loved was dead, replaced with a hollow shell of a man. "Open the cell."

Two of the guards strode forward, and did just that using heavy obsidian keys to open the cold iron locks. The gate swung open.

"Sirius Black, step forward slowly with your hands up, and allow yourself to be shackled." Amelia commanded.

He gave a choking bark. "I'll play along. Nothing better to do." He stepped forward slowly, hands raised, until he crossed outside his cell. A look of confusion spread across his face. He could feel the warm radiance of the Patronuses, the one detail of the illusion that the Dementor's had never been able to replicate. That one irregularity had kept him sane here, let him know that all the visions, all the tricks were just that. Tricks. "Emmy?" He whispered quietly.

A sliver scraggly dog paced past him, and he caught the whisper of a happy memory. Of the scent of apple trees, and of the warm summer sun.

He made no protest as anti-magic shackles were placed on his wrists and ankles. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Amelia's face. "It's really you?"

Amelia kept her features cold and schooled. "Your trial is to be held tomorrow at thirteen hundred before the whole wizengammott. You will stand trial for high-treason, conspiracy, dark magic of the fifth degree, causing the deaths of Lily and James Potter, as well as the murder of Peter Pettigrew, and twelve Muggles."

He nodded dumbly. "I'm actually getting a trial?" He gave half a laugh. "I guess this places messes with my sense of time. I felt like I've been here for years." Now that he was partially protected from the Dementor's influence his mind ran like lightning.

"Have they held the funeral yet? For Lily and James? Is little Aethelind alright? Whose custody is she in?" He paused. "Wait! Don't tell me, even if you can. This place ripped through my occulmency like wet paper. Just…is she ok?"

The guards and the Aurors all seemed stunned to silence. Amelia broke the silence, only barely able to keep tears out of her voice. "Si-Black, It's been five years."

Sirius gave a strangled cry. "Five? I? Five years." He then returned to a semblance of composure as he was led down the sone corridors. "Thats good I suppose, if the courts just now are getting to me, that means you must have caught a lot of Death Eaters. Must have been tied up trying them until now. That must be it. I hope they all were kissed. Not worth the space here. Must have been a lot of trials." He was mumbling to himself. Unaware that he was speaking out loud. It had been so long since he'd seen another person.

The group rounded a rough hewn stone corridor and came face to face with the great gate of Azkaban.

Amelia came to a stop, and looked back down the corridor leading to Sirius's old cell. Then back to the door. As she looked back to the cell one more time, she looked down a corridor of perfectly hewn stone, one that she was sure they had never walked down. "How?"

"Welcome to Azkaban!" The guard with the grating voice said. "It does what it wants."

Amelia prayed fervently to any deity that might be listening as the group exited the fortress, that she would never have to return to that hell hole.

If any gods had been listening, they would have laughed.

 **A/N: So, here we introduce two of the central tenants of this story. Soul Magic, and the Dementors. I'll come back to the first one, but first I would like to say that I have an unhealthy obsession for Dementors and that probably because the scare the living daylight out of me. They destroy SOULS, which is like so many terrifying orders of magnitude worse than death in the HP universe. Frankly I feel that they were under utilized, and under explored in the books, and I want to play around with the soul consuming abominations for a bit.**

 **As for Soul magic, what it is, what it can do, where it comes from, that will be explained more in the upcoming future. Rest assured this isn't a God!Harry fic of Super!Harry. I've spent most of the time recently that i haven't been updating working on fleshing out a believable (I hope) and nuanced magic system, and i cant wait to show it to all of you!**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading. Please Review!**

 **-AZ**


	4. Chapter 4

Orion Black paced nervously in the antechamber to the Wizengammott chamber.

"You seem stressed? Are you that worried about the court voting to keep Sirius imprisoned?" Arcturus asked his son.

"Ha! We have mountains of evidence to bury them under. That doesn't frighten me in the slightest."

"Then what does?" Arcturus's brow furrowed.

"Seeing Sirius." Orion collapsed heavily into a waiting chair. "You were on the continent when he left home." He sighed. "I didn't know things were that bad between us. I just thought he was in a little rebellious phase, that it would pass. So I went to the station that summer personally to pick up him and Reg-Regulus." Orion choked a little on the name of his dead son. "I went expecting to have a father son heart to heart. Maybe a little of a screaming match if tempers flared. I didn't expect to not see my son, my boy. I didn't expect him to never come home. Then the war came, and we picked the wrong side. Then when I finally got over myself, and realized I had followed the wrong cause, I thought my son was a traitor." He looked up into the heavily lined face of his father. "Dad, I don't know how to face him. To apologize."

Arcturus looked down at his son. "I'd start by just saying 'im sorry' simple words go a long way."

The door leading to the chamber opened, and a mousey little secretary peeked her head into the room. "My Lords Black, the court is ready for you."

Arcturus gave a stiff nod, and grasped his cane with a firm hand. It was time for the trial to begin.

The two strode out to the chamber to gasps of surprise, it had been five years since a Black had taken up the family seat.

"Objection! The Lords Black should not be present as this matter pertains to their house!" The voice of Lucius Malfoy echoed through the chamber.

Arcturus gave a small smile, he wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he loved the game of politics. "Actually, you'll find that the defendant is not a member of my house."

There was a quiet murmur from the crowd. It was common knowledge that Sirius had been disowned within the family.

"What you declare doesn't matter Lord Black, the Official Record shows the defendant as a member of the house of black." Lucius's blonde eyebrows were creased in a frown.

Arcturus laughed and turned to the crowd. "Apparently Lord Malfoy isn't aware of the fact that the defendant was officially disowned through the goblins, and the Minstrey, as of five years ago. I would advise you check on the status of the old families more commonly Lord Malfoy, it helps lower the amount of surprises you have to deal with."

Lucius was taken aback. "You will need to submit proof-"

"Lord Malfoy!" The voice of Albus Dumbledore thundered through the chamber. "You are not officiating this trial. I have seen proof of the disowning, with my own eyes. Your objection is overruled. Sit down."

Orion grinned fiercely. It wasn't much, but Lucius had just lost a small bit of prestige. Being unaware of the inner workings of the Most Ancient and Most Noble houses was a major social blunder, being told off by the Chief Warlock, more so.

"If there are no other objections?" Dumbledore said. There was silence. "Let the trial of Sirus Vs. The Ministry of Magic begin."

Sirius Was led through a rough stone antechamber by Aurors into the lower courtroom. The Wizengammott sat high above him. He chuckled slightly. He had read about Roman Coliseums, and he now understood what the gladiators must have felt looking up at the crowds cheering for blood.

"The defendant!" One of the Auror's guarding him called out. He was walked forward to a heavy stone chair that rose up from the stone floor, as if carved from the same monstrous block of granite. Chains moving on their own bound him to the chair, twisting around his limbs, and digging into his flesh painfully. "Watch it!" he hissed at the metal.

"The defendant is accused of High Treason against the Ministry, Collusion with a terrorist, three counts of conspiracy to murder, and thirteen counts of murder. How do you plead?" Albus's voice was calm and even, the perfect image of an arbiter of impartial justice.

"Innocent." Sirius whispered hoarsely, the spoke louder.

"The defendant pleads innocent. The prosecution may make their case."

Bartimus Crouch Sr. walked up to a podium near the Chief Warlock's stand. "The accused, was chosen to be the Secret Keeper of the Potter when they were under the Fidaleus Charm. Nothing other than the betrayal of the Secret Keeper could have given the Potters away. In addition, there is the testimony of multiple witnesses who saw the Accused kill multiple muggles, as well as Peter Pettigrew."

"Wrong!" Sirius half spoke half shouted. "I was never the secret keeper for the Potters!" He looked around the room. "I consent to the use of Vertiserum."

There were gasps of surprise from the crowd. It was illegal to force the truth serum upon anyone, and it was rare to have anyone consent to be drugged with the serum.

"Objection! The Accused is a known occulmens, and may have the ability to resist Vertiserum." Crouch roared.

Sirius looked crouch straight in the eyes, and threw his head back in laughter. "I consent to double dose of Vertiserum."

Crouch's face went red with rage. "Deny this request! He is trying to make a mockery of this court!"

"The prosecution is advised to keep quiet, and to watch their words." Albus whispered low and dangerously.

Crouch paled and went silent.

A vial of vertiserum was brought forward, and six drops were placed on Sirus's tongue. Then the questioning began. Sirius watched, in a very detached way as the faces in the crowd became more and more horrified as he explained the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew, the deaths of Lily and James, and the explosion on the street. He explained how he Peter, and James became Animagi, he explained why he had left to hunt Peter down. After a few moments of silence, he was given the antidote to the potion.

"Does the prosecution have anything to say in response" Dumbledore asked.

"No." Crouch's voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried though the whole room.

"Then I believe it is time we move for a vote."

The verdict was unanimous. Sirius was a free man.

As the members of the court began to stand, and the media attempted to rush forward, a single raised voice carried over the noise.

"Wait! Since the whole Wizengammot is gathered here today, I would like to take care of a small order of business. Is that acceptable chief warlock?" Arcturus stood tall and imposing above the crowd.

"It is." Albus said. "You may begin."

"I wish to formally welcome Sirius, back into my house." There was a moment of silence. "and…And I would like to issue my grandson a formal apology, for assuming the worst of him, when he has always been firmly on the side of the light, even when many in my house chose the wrong side of the war. I would also like to propose reparations, and an Order of Merlin for Sirius Black."

"Do I have a second on reparations?" Augustas Longbottom raised her hand. A vote was quickly called, and passed with an overwhelming majority.

"Do I have a second on an Order of Merlin?" Amelia Bones raised her hand. This vote was much quicker but still passed.

"That is all the business I have." Arcturus returned to his seat.

"A committee will be made to determine the exact value of reparations, and to determine the Order of Merlin to be awarded. Membership will be up for a vote next session. Court dismissed." Albus's voice was clear and loud.

Sirius was stunned. He couldn't help staring at his father and grandfather, who's presence he hadn't even noticed until now. He had never expected to be welcomed back into the family. He certainly hadn't expected his grandfather to secure him an Order of Merlin.

He was still basically comatose as he was led out of the courtroom by a group of Aurors, now an honor guard, instead of as Jailors. He was numb as his paperwork was processed, and he was led through a stiff medical acessment.

He was numb when he was led into a board room off the beaten path, away from reporters. He was numb until he saw her.

Amelia Bones stood in one of the disused board rooms of the ministry and nervously played with the chain of the ring around her neck. Fear coursed through her like electricity. She had never truly stopped loving Sirius, simply pushed the emotions to the deepest most hidden recess of her mind. Now though, now that the tension of the trial had drained away, that the man she loved had been proven Innocent without the barest shadow of a doubt, the emotions, and the memories flooded back.

Sirius stared at the woman he had proposed to shortly before the end of the war. "Emmy?" he whispered. Her hair was down, and she had traded her maroon Auror robes for a set of plain black, likely to show that she was here in an unofficial function.

Amelia kept her composure for exactly three seconds before a wave of guilt and grief overwhelmed her. "I'm sorry Sirus, I'm so sorry! I abandoned you! In that hell hole. I could barely stand a walk through that place and I left you there to rot for five years!" Tears streamed down her face.

"Hey, hey don't cry. It's alright. Everyone made the same mistake." Sirius attempted to give an easy grin, that ended looking more like a grimace. "I was supposed to play decoy for the real secret keeper, I just did it too well." He waved his arm as if gesturing at an invisible paper. "Just think of how good it will look on my resumé 'Sirius Black! Guaranteed to keep your secrets come dark lords and dementors. Please note, no actual secret keeper experience."

Amelia gave out a strangled half laugh half sob. "You damn idiot."

Sirius gave a weary grin. "Thats what I'm good at. Besides, I can't exactly blame anyone for not believing me. I was the fool who chased after Peter instead of waiting to get backup, its my own fault really."

"Don't say that! I should have believed you. If anyone in the world should have, I should have. I'm so sorry Sirius. You should hate me, and all you are doing is being so damn understanding!" Amelia tried to fight back tears again and failed once more.

Sirius moved without thinking, and pulled her close. "It's okay. I forgive you. I could never hate you Emmy."

Amelia looked up at Sirus with tear filled brown eyes. "I should have done something!"

"The past is the past. I spent five years doing nothing but dwelling on it. Now I'm free, now i just want to think of the future." Sirius smiled down at her. "I spent a while in hell, I'm just happy to be back in the world of the living." A slightly troubled look spread across his face. "I just want to know where we stand."

Amelia knew that snap decisions were horribly unwise and most often ended horribly, however since she had spent the past week with the question running through her mind, so she thought that just this once, it wouldn't do any harm. "Yes."

"Yes?" Sirius looked confused.

"My answer is still yes, if you will have it, that is." Amelia blushed and looked down, afraid to meet his eyes.

Her answer was a cry of joy, and she was swept off her feet. "I've been hoping for that answer for five years." He set her down, tears of happiness running down his face.

She pulled the chain with its golden band over her head, and slipped the ring back onto her finger for the first time in years.

A slow creaking noise alerted them to company. Sirius tensed when he saw who it was.

Orion Black stood in the doorway. "I, ah was told I could find my son here."

"I don't see Regulus here anywhere." Sirius said through gritted teeth.

Orion flinched as if he had been physically hit. "I am sorry Sirius. You were right all along. We chose the wrong side. We should have listened to you."

Sirius was taken aback. This was his father, the emotionless man who never apologized for anything, admitting he was wrong. "Yeah, well I'm sorry too. Maybe if you had listened Reggie would still be alive." Sirius regretted the words the second they left his mouth.

"Perhaps." Orion sighed. "It's a possibility I have spent many a night torturing myself with." He pulled himself up. "Perhaps Bella, and Narcissa could have been saved from the paths they now walk as well. Unfortunately no matter how much I try, grief doesn't change the past. So now my duty is to those members of my family who are still on the correct path." He gave a sad half chuckle. "Which among the younger generation included you and…Andromeda. Not quite an empire akin to the old house of Black."

Orion's eyes came to rest on Amelia's hand resting on Sirius's shoulder, and the thin golden band upon her ring finger. He burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Sirius snapped.

"Eight days ago, I thought our family was entirely doomed to die out, with no heirs, and no younger generation to speak of." Orion wheezed, trying to catch his breath. "Now I'm dealing with more family members than I know what to do with." He locked eyes with Sirius. "I know we haven't even come close to seeing eye to eye in the past, son, but your grandfather and I need you now. We need your help. We will rebuild our family from the ashes, not as a family of the dark, but of the light, and we need you to do it."

"The Blacks? A light house?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"We have already begun to work with Albus." Orion paused. "Speaking of which, Albus has requested your presence at Hogwarts." He looked at Amelia. "You'd probably better come as well."

"Why-" Sirus begun, before being cut off by Orion.

"It's about Aethelind."

"Say no more."

Amelia looked between the two. Then sighed. "There is a floo in my office." The group of three made their way quickly to the office, and stepped though the green flames as Orion called out 'Hogwarts Hospital Wing.'

Albus Dumbledore, Arcturus Black, and Poppy Pomfrey stood in a rough half circle around one of the beds. Sirius dashed from the fireplace across the room in an instant. "Why are we in the Hospital Wing, is my goddaughter alrig-" His words were cut off by a choking noise as his eyes fell upon the little girl in the hospital bed.

Orion looked down at the girl as well. She looked far, far better than she had a week ago. Her skin was now a decent approximation of the color of health, and her bones were far less pronounced. One thing that was worse though, without her being covered in blood and grime, was the twisted tangle of scars that covered the left side of her face. Several lines of scaring crossed her left eye, passing through her brow and lashes, leaving raw pink skin where hair should be. The scars were more and more faded the closer to the edge of her forehead they were, with the scars closest to her nose, and mouth being basically scabs.

"What happened!" Sirius cried.

"Voldemort happened." Arcturus said grimly. "It's the work of the killing curse. Best we can tell, it spreads when her magical core is over taxed, or her body is sufficiently damaged."

"What about the rest? She looks far far too skinny and pale. Is that also the work of the curse?"

"Partially." Poppy answered. "She was sent to live with muggle relatives, and they did not treat her kindly. We rescued her recently, however the damage was already done."

"The Dursleys. I swear I'll kill th-" Sirius snarled.

"No! You just got out of prison for a crime you didn't commit, don't go and get your self put there for one you did." Amelia grabbed his arm tightly. "I just got you back."

"Besides, killing them now would be redundant." Orion said. "There was a house fire a few days ago. Luckily their son escaped the flames, but sadly Vernon and Petunia perished within." He failed spectacularly at sounding even slightly sad.

Amelia gritted her teeth. "I suppose i'll just pretend I never heard that then."

"Heard what?" Albus asked with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm afraid I went momentarily deaf.

"Me too. How odd." Amelia said.

"You know, Dad, maybe we did just get off on the wrong foot after all." Sirius said with a feral grin.

 **A/N: Okay, I will admit, killing off the Dursleys felt really really good.**

 **Special thanks to amata0221 for the review on chapter 3, and for my second request for a Fem!Harry/ Cedric story. Might have to seriously consider that.**

 **Please read and review, and don't feel afraid to PM concerns, criticisms, ideas, questions and ect…**

 **-AZ**


	5. Chapter 5

apter 5

 **A/N: A leading author's note! Strange I know. This is just here to say that I need a beta reader for plot and grammar, and my horrible awful spelling. Anyone willing to help a writer in need please shoot me a PM. Now back to your regularly scheduled fic.**

Sirius stared down at the glass of amber liquid in his hand with a detached sense of mild annoyance. The past seventy two hours had been nothing but pure chaos, from his freedom from Azkaban to his trial, to his reunion with Amelia, and his father, to the condition of Aethelind.

"She what?" he asked numbly, the latest revelation pushing his mind over the edge.

"Amnesiac, it's quite likely she won't have any memories when she wakes up." Albus Dumbledore said kindly.

"So…" Sirius rubbed his temples. "My horrifically scarred, half blind, cursed, in a coma, abuse victim of a goddaughter is also an amnesiac. What in merlin's name did she ever do to piss of fate?"

"Probably survive the killing curse. That might irritate fate a bit." Orion gave a humorless laugh. "In all seriousness though, the amnesia and the scars might be to our benefit."

"How! How does her not remembering anything help us, and certainly, how the _hell_ do her scars help us!" Sirius was struggling to keep his voice below a scream.

"If we hadn't told you that was Aethelind laying there, would you have been able to guess that was James and Lily's daughter?" Arcturus said calmly.

"I mean, it was hard to recognize her but I've been in-" Sirius stopped mid sentence. "Oh. I see. That's our angle. No memories, hard to recognize. She's going to be given a new identity isn't she?"

Albus nodded. "It is the safest thing we can do for her."

"So, where are we sending her to? The Weasley's? If we dyed her hair, no-one would even think twice about another kid from that family. The Longbottoms perhaps?" Sirius then noticed how everyone in the room was staring at him. A realization dawned over him. "No. Nope. No way! I will not have my goddaughter raised as a Black! That goes against everything Lily and James would have wanted for their daughter!"

"Sirus." Orion's face was contorted into a pained expression. "Please, here us out. The girl needs a family, more than that she needs a lot a time, and care. She wouldn't receive what she needs as one of a family of eight, and it wouldn't be fair to her or the other children. Sirius, you are her godfather, Lily and James wanted you to take her in. Just let us help you, and help us. We want to make amends for what we did wrong. For what I did wrong while raising you."

Sirius gritted his teeth. "A lot will have to change! Grimmauld Place is not fit to raise a child in. It needs cleared of a lot of dark magics to be safe, and I will not have her raised as a pureblooded bigot."

"My wife has been getting on me to expand our families holdings for sometime. Now that I have hope for the continuation of my line again, perhaps it is indeed time to do just that. Maybe I should buy a chateau on the Côte d'Azur." Arcturus smiled broadly. "As for a pureblood bigot? I expect the girl to be raised as a proper heiress, to do otherwise would be suspicious, but a bigot? Hardly. If the past few years have taught me anything, it's that the muggleborns deserve a place in our society. Aethelinds mother destroyed the Dark Lord, and protected her daughter from the killing curse, a feat of magic that not even the oldest, purest bloodlines can claim to match. I would have to be a fool not to see the writing on the wall."

"I…I'm impressed. I misjudged you grandfather. I am sorry for that." Sirius's voice was quiet. He had quite a lot to think about. his whole life had been turned upside down in the past few hours. "I'll have to speak to Amelia." A stray thought crossed his mind. "Wait, if we are creating a new identity for her, whats the angle? Orphaned child of a distant relative?"

"Regulus's lost daughter actually." Arcturus gave a droll smile. "She is right about the correct age, and you have to admit she resembles him. The Black blood in the Potter line really came to the forefront in her."

Sirius spat out his sip of whisky. "Regulus's what?"

"Right. You wouldn't know. Before he died, Regulus sent a letter home explaining that he'd fallen in love with a muggleborn witch and had a child with her, and that his view on the war had changed. The Dark Lord had found out and killed the witch, but Regulus had managed to get his daughter to safety among the muggles. Regulus then went on a little bit of a secret crusade against the Dark Lord. His death is what pushed us over the edge of going against the Dark Lord."

Sirius barked a laugh. "That's disturbingly convenient. A daughter the correct age, with more than enough reason to explain her lack of parents, and a genuine explanation for her having a dark curse scar. It's basically perfect."

"Yes, fate appears to have grown tired of screwing us over, and has decided to be useful for once." Orion smiled sadly.

"There will be a lot of paperwork to set up, and it would be ideal to complete it all in the next month or so, before Aethelind wakes up." Albus said.

"That's not much time. Especially seeing as we basically have to build a new identity for her from the ground up. She needs a paper trail, a name, a birthday, an elementary school, she needs everything a normal six year old girl has without even trying, and we have to build it all from the ground up." Sirius leaned forward. "We'd better get to work."

"Yes. We'd better. We can take care of one of the issues right now. How does Maia Dorea Black sound?" Arcturus said. There was a general murmur of ascent. "Perfect. One down, a thousand to go."

Just over forty eight days later, Arcturus, Melania, Orion, Sirus, Albus, Amelia, and Poppy Pomfrey stood clustered around the bed of the freshly christened Maia Dorea Black.

The small girl was completely changed from how she had looked when she was brought to the infirmary. Her bones were no longer visible, and her skin had a healthy pink tinge to it. The restorative and nourishing draughts she had been fed since her arrival had added a few inches to her height. No longer dressed in rags, the pajamas she wore spoke subtly of wealth.

"How long till she wakes up?" Amelia asked quietly, looking down at the girl.

"Shouldn't be long now. Any minute actually." Madame Pomfrey whispered.

Maia stirred in her slumber, moving from the perfect stillness of her coma into a more natural sleep. The already quiet room faded into silence as those waiting fell into nervous anticipation and trepidation.

Dark eyelashes fluttered, and then opened. Revealing one eye of piercing green, in a hue that shouldn't be possible in human eyes, and one eye a soft pale green, occluded by a milky fog.

Sirius rushed to his goddaughter, and now daughter's side. "Sweetie? How are you feeling? Do you remember anything?"

The girl looked up at the strange dark haired man who was standing beside her bed side. The first thought that passed through her mind left her lips. "Thirsty." The word was barely a whisper. Her voice strained from disuse.

The strange man turned to a strange woman, dressed in white with a wide friendly face. "Poppy? Can she handle a glass of water." The woman nodded and bustled away. The man turned back to the girl. "Maia." So that was her name. why hadn't she been able to remember her name. "Maia, sweetie, can you remember anything? It's important."

Maia strained her mind to remember something. Anything. Her mind was a blank space. Sure she could remember some things, like words, and numbers, and what grass felt like under her feet, but all the faces around her were mysteries, and she didn't know how she got here, wherever here was, or even who she was. "No." she croaked. "No I don't. Why can't I remember anything?"

The strange man made a odd choked sobbing noise. "Nothing at all?" She shook her head numbly. She felt that she should be sad, but she didn't know why. "There, there was an accident. You were very badly injured. We thought it was likely that your memory would be affected."

Maia thought for a second to process the information. The term 'an accident' was very vague, however she decided she could press for information on that later. "Who are you?" she asked.

Another odd choking sound, though this one had an edge of happiness to it she decided, though she didn't know why. "I'm your father, Maia. You're my daughter."

Maia sat quietly for a moment. "I'm very sorry."

Her father looked at her strangely. "Why pup?"

"Because my father seems like a very important thing to remember. I'm sorry that I don't. I'll try to be better." Maia spoke quickly. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she had to do better, or else her father, who she had just gotten would leave. She didn't want to be alone.

"It's not your fault, Maia. It's not your fault at all. There was an accident, you couldn't have done anything to prevent it. We are all just happy you are alright." Her father smiled down at her, and Maia felt a little warm inside. Happy. That was the word.

Her vision was a little clearer now, and she was able to turn her head slightly to look around and see exactly where here was. She was in a room that was both white, and a rainbow of colors. Confusion filled her mind. The rainbow colors were different, they weren't on the outside of things, like colors should be, but instead they were inside, and around things, twisting and turing as they moved. She blinked her left eye, and nothing changed. The colors were still there, as was the normal, proper acting whites and grays. Then she blinked her right eye, and the normal colors vanished. Only the rainbow colors, brighter now without all the others to get in the way remained. She could still make out everything, the walls, the widows, the other beds through the light that rested within them.

Then she noticed the people. The shapes clustered around her bed. They were glorious, thousands of hues dancing and swirling within them, each pattern, each tone unique and individual, their colors trailing slightly behind their body as they moved, shifting slightly. She could see their heartbeats as they sent ripples and eddies through their forms.

A voice cut through her reverie. Not her father's voice. Similar, but older. "Maia, is there something wrong with your eyes?" She opened her other eye and turned towards the voice. The face that she saw confirmed her suspicions, like father, just older. She felt fear inside him, though she didn't know why.

"I'm not sure. I think there might be." She looked up at older-father. "Are you my father's father?"

The gathered crowd laughed a little. Her father smiled broadly at her look of confusion. "I told you she was a bright little thing! My girl wouldn't let a little thing like amnesia keep her down. Impressive inference skills. What do you mean by you aren't sure though?"

Maia tried to verbalize what she was seeing. "I…my left eye, its not seeing normal I don't think. I'm seeing things with it that I shouldn't, colors that aren't there, patterns inside things. Heartbeats."

"Sorry child, but did you just say that you were seeing heartbeats?" The oldest one of those present said. He glowed almost painfully bright inside.

She nodded. "With my left eye, the heartbeats make the colors inside move."

The old bright man raised an eyebrow. "I think Maia, that you have a very special gift. We were worried that the accident may have left you blind."

"I am glad that I'm not." Maia replied happily. She returned to looking at the assembled people. There was her father of course, and her father's father, and an even older looking man who she decided was father's father's father. Then there was the woman in white, a stern looking woman who looked to be the same age as great grandfather, perhaps she was her great grandmother.

Her eyes fell upon the youngest of the women, about the same age of father, she stood at the back of the group, near father. Maia quickly noticed the band of metal on her finger, and the almost possessive way she stood near Maia's father. The woman looked at Maia with the same earnest concern the woman in white did, but not with the same fire that burned in her family. She was father's wife perhaps, but was not Maia's mother.

Maia's brow furrowed. If she wasn't her mother, who was? Where was her mother? Was she missing, or was she dead.

"What's bothering you pup?" Father asked.

"I was trying to figure out who everybody is. I've been trying to guess, but it's not working." Maia was frustrated by the white nothingness inside her mind. She kept grabbing for memories that weren't there.

Father laughed. "I suppose we should all introduce ourselves." He pointed at himself. "I am Sirius Black, your adoptive father after the loss of your birth father Regulus Black when you were very little."

Maia took in the new information easily. She felt like she should feel sad, should feel like she lost something, but with no memories to base the sadness on, she just felt detached, and floaty. Jus like she'd felt since waking up. Perhaps that was normal for her. "So if you are Sirius Black, and my birth father was Regulus Black, and I'm Maia, then I'm Maia Black?"

Her father smiled. "Yes, very good."

Grandfather spoke. "I am Orion Black, your grandfather."

The older grandfather stepped forward as well. "Arcturus Black, your great-grandfather and head of house." He wrapped his arm around the woman next to him. "This is Melania Black, my wife and your great-grandmother"

A family tree began to appear in Maia's sparse mind. Names, and generations filling in quickly. The avoidance of mentioning her grandmother or mother told her their fates quickly. They, like her birth father were dead.

Her not-mother stepped forward a little. "My name is Amelia Bones, I'm your father's fiancé."

Maia smiled and nodded, a new line and a new name appearing in her head. "Are you my new mother?"

Amelia gave a small sad smile. Maia noticed that her eyes were wet with tears. "If you want me to sweetie. I was close friends with your birthmother and I wouldn't want to…usurp her place."

"I don't remember her." Maia spoke honestly. "She doesn't have a place to be usurped."

A pained expression crossed Amelia's face. "Well we can't have that, can we?" She smiled. "I'll have to tell you about your birthmother sometime, we went to school together and I have all kinds of stories about her."

Maia nodded happily. "I'd like that."

Woman-In-White had been waving a stick around for a few minutes saying odd things that caused brighter-than-any-other colors to appear in the air. Her normal, proper sight couldn't see anything but thin air. The woman stepped forward and introduced herself as Poppy Pomfrey, something called a medi-witch that had been tending to Maia since her 'accident'.

Bright-Old-Man was Albus Dumbledore, a close family friend who had been called in to help with the healing process.

Now knowing who everybody was, Maia felt her eyelids, which had been growing heavier finally win the fight against her willpower, and she succumbed to a gentle natural slumber. Before she gave into the darkness, she wondered what tomorrow would bring.

…

 **A/N: WOOOOOOOOOO!**

 **After five chapters and a little under 13,000 words, we finally get to meet Aethelind/ Maia.**

 **I have been waiting for this for so long lol. If Maia comes off as a little flat right now, good, i want the genesis of her personality, and just who she is to unfold with a natural progression. The base layer for who she is has been painted, and memories, events, and friendships will paint in the shadows, and the highlights that make her who she is.**

 **Please read and review!**

 **-AZ**


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